Federal regulators have started asking for bids from potential buyers of Southeast Bank. And with a bid deadline of Sept. 9, the Miami bank`s fate may be resolved late next month.

Southeast President Douglas Ebert said in a memo to employees released earlier this week that the company has scheduled meetings over the next several weeks with unspecified third parties.

``These meetings will be more broadly based than in the past and may include interviews at the business unit and branch levels,`` Ebert said in the bulletin.

SunTrust Banks reportedly is interested in Southeast, and Barnett Banks has renewed its interest in possibly acquiring the company, The Wall Street Journal reported.

SunTrust joins First Union Corp. and NCNB Corp., which have said they would be interested in buying Southeast if the government would agree to assume most or all of Southeast`s bad loans and other soured assets as part of the deal. Barnett looked at Southeast`s books earlier this year and said later it was no longer interested in acquiring the company. BankAmerica has given Southeast an exploratory look as well.

Representatives of SunTrust, Barnett and BankAmerica have declined comment on the matter.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is soliciting bids at Southeast`s request, and Southeast is preparing to present the FDIC a plan soon for an infusion of capital by an unnamed investor group that is coupled with federal assistance, the Journal said.